An outgoing state lawmaker is headed back to the Tennessee State Capitol. Gov. Bill Lee announced today that Memphis’s John DeBerry will join his administration as a senior advisor.
“John DeBerry is a respected leader and man of faith who has served our state with integrity for decades as both a legislator and civil rights champion,” Lee said in a statement. “John has fought to protect life, provide better education options for Tennessee students, and to reform our criminal justice system and I’m honored to have his counsel within the Cabinet.”
DeBerry is the second ex-lawmaker that Lee has tapped this fall to serve in his administration. Earlier in this month, Lee announced that retiring Knoxville Rep. Bill Dunn is joining the state Department of Education as a senior adviser.
But unlike Dunn, DeBerry was a Democrat up until April, when the state party kicked him out over his conservative record. DeBerry is anti-abortion and a supporter of school vouchers — a measure that has been declared unconstitutional by the courts but championed by Gov. Lee and the GOP.
DeBerry ran again in November as an independent and lost, despite members of the Republican caucus campaigning for him.
In a text message to WPLN News Monday night, DeBerry said this was not a new position and thanked the governor for the opportunity.
“I look forward to working all of my colleagues on both side of the aisle and will use my extensive experience on behalf of our Governor and our great state,” DeBerry said.
It’s unclear what his role will be, but his new salary is $165,000 a year. That’s up from a base salary as a state legislator of $24,300.
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